Muskogee approves construction payments, utility contracts and park grant applications

City of Muskogee committees and the full council on Feb. 10 approved a series of routine finance and public‑works items including construction change orders, final payments, grant applications and vendor agreements.

Finance committee members approved minutes and a claims list before forwarding several construction and payment items to the council. Among the actions, the council approved change orders and final payments for a swim and fitness remodel (project 2023025) and final payment for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) waterline project (project 2023008). Staff described the swim‑center work as including floor leveling, new walls, mirrors, lighting and a new fire‑alarm system. The council approved change orders 5 and 6 for the swim and fitness remodel for $10,464.60 and a final payment to ACO Construction LLC for $32,190.13.

For the CDBG waterline project on Elgin Street, staff reported the project replaced about 1,550 feet of 6‑inch water line, added 16 fire hydrants and connected 39 residential services; the council approved final payment to Cook Consulting LLC for $390,014.46. A separate change order (number 2) for the same waterline project was a credit of $2,445.17 related to an unused fire hydrant assembly.

Parks staff asked to apply for a TSET Innovations and Built Environment grant of $80,000 to help convert two tennis courts at Honor Heights Park into six pickleball courts while retaining two tennis courts. The estimated project cost cited during the meeting was roughly $125,000; staff said the grant would cover $80,000 if awarded and that the Parks and Recreation Board recommended applying. The council approved the application.

The public works committee recommended and the council approved an agreement with Tetra Tech for sanitary sewer evaluation services in the Haskell Boulevard basin for $135,240; staff said the work (flow monitoring, smoke testing, cleaning, TV camera work and mapping) will be funded from an Oklahoma Water Resources Board loan for sanitary sewer improvements.

The council approved a renewed agreement with Waste Management of Oklahoma, effective March 1, 2025, moving billing from a yardage basis to per‑ton billing at a stated rate of $31.70 per ton; staff noted a required Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality tipping fee of $1.25 per ton and said the city will receive $1.81 per ton in royalty fees from Waste Management.

On community and donation items, the council authorized the airport manager and airport board chairman to accept donations on behalf of the city for a free public event at Davis Field on March 15, 2025, and approved accepting a donation of $20,851.99 from the estate of Jack Bethany Jr. to the city animal shelter; staff said the donation will be used for flooring, painting, ceiling repair and technology upgrades including a welcome monitor showing animals for adoption and computers for animal control vehicles.

The council also confirmed an appointment to the War Memorial Trust Authority and approved minor housekeeping corrections to the municipal budget for FY2024–25.

Votes at a glance: The council recorded unanimous roll‑call approvals for the finance committee minutes and claims, swim and fitness remodel change orders (CO #5 and #6, $10,464.60), final payment to ACO Construction LLC ($32,190.13), final payment to Cook Consulting LLC for the CDBG waterline project ($390,014.46), CDBG change order #2 (credit $2,445.17), TSET grant application ($80,000 request for Honor Heights Park), Tetra Tech sanitary sewer evaluation contract ($135,240), Waste Management agreement (effective 03/01/2025; rate change to $31.70/ton), acceptance of the Jack Bethany Jr. estate donation ($20,851.99) and authorization for airport donations for the March 15 event. All roll calls showed the participating council members voting "yes."